UNC Basketball: GoT-Inspired Regular-Season Awards for Tar Heels

The 2014-15 regular season is over, and the North Carolina Tar Heels are currently in the midst of the ACC tournament.

UNC took care of business in round two, defeating Boston College 81-63. Up next will be the fourth-seeded Louisville Cardinals.

But before we move too far ahead into postseason play, a recap of the regular season by handing out some awards seems necessary.

With the new season of Game of Thrones just a month away, it only makes sense to make the awards GoT-inspired. After all, this wild, up-and-down season for the Tar Heels has occasionally seemed like something out of fantasy fiction. And besides, nothing is crazier than the landscape of college basketball, except perhaps Westeros.

Obligatory spoiler alert: references to GoT plot points are mentioned but nothing beyond season four of the TV show. I have never read any of the books!

Stannis Baratheon Award

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The Stannis Baratheon Award

Given to the person who best does his job with little glitz or glamor.

Winner - Kennedy Meeks

Meeks may not be a prototypical team MVP, but he is the underrated or "boring" MVP of North Carolina.

Stannis doesn't make headlines like his fellow claimers to the throne. He has his army and his men and sticks to his beliefs.

Likewise, Meeks isn't a super athlete who makes SportsCenter. He doesn't make big, showy plays or swat opponents' shots into the fifth row. Instead, he sticks to what he knows and what he's good at, and it works.

Even at under 24 minutes per game, Meeks has been a force in the paint whose consistency is unrivaled.

Sansa Stark Award

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The Sansa Stark Award

Given to the biggest wet blanket.

Winner - Brice Johnson

Johnson has become known as much for his exasperated look and pained face after foul calls as he is for throwing down monstrous alley-oops. His supreme face-up game is being overshadowed by his whiny demeanor and hit-or-miss effort.

Sansa is the wet blanket of Game of Thrones. Everything bad happens to her, but rather than feel sorry for her, viewers are just annoyed with her attitude and outlook.

If Sansa ever gets her act together and "plays" up to her potential, she can take back rule of the North. The same goes for Johnson becoming the all-around elite player he can be.

Eddard Stark Award

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The Eddard Stark Award

Given to the greatest fallen leader.

Winner - of course, the legendary Dean Smith

Both men, both peerless leaders, left us too soon. Ned Stark was one of the only honorable men in all of Westeros and led his kingdom the right way. Smith was also one of a kind in his field.

It was nice to see Duke honor Smith when the Blue Devils and UNC faced off in Cameron Indoor Stadium. It was also nice to see the Tar Heels return the favor by honoring Coach K for his 1,000 victories. The two bitter rivals put aside their differences to do the right thing.

Without carrying this analogy with a fictional character too much farther, Ned unfortunately never received the same respect from his rival.

Bran Stark Award

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The Bran Stark Award

Given to the person with the greatest determination and most irreplaceable skills.

Winner - Marcus Paige

Paige has not had the best season. He has battled through injuries and shooting slumps. He has failed to live up to the tremendous preseason expectations. And yet, no one else on the Tar Heels' roster can do what Paige does on a nightly basis.

While hindered by his ailing lower body, a la Bran (though obviously not as severely), Paige has still excelled from distance and from the line this season, fortifying two major areas of weakness for the Tar Heels.

Bran has legit magical skills, but Paige's skills are just as important to North Carolina. It would be just as hard for UNC to replace what he does as it would be for Hodor to find another warg.

Oberyn Martell Award

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The Oberyn Martell Award

Given to the player who has suffered the fastest fall from grace.

Winner - J.P. Tokoto

Prince Oberyn's famous, infamous death was the fastest anyone could possibly move from victor to loser.

Although not as gruesome, Tokoto's game has taken a similar fall, and it is hard to explain why. Even at the beginning of this very season, Tokoto was playing well. He was leading UNC in assists while flying around and doing all the super-athletic things only he is capable of.

However, at some point, the negative plays began to overshadow and overwhelm the things he did well.

He would still make a few nice passes per game, but they would be canceled out by a number of plainly awful passes and decisions. Tokoto would still make a few nice drives and finish strong, but too often he would pull up for jumpers when a better play was available.

For UNC fans and for Tokoto's sake, at least he has a chance to turn things back around. Oberyn wasn't so lucky.

Daenerys Targaryen Award

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The Daenerys Targaryen Award

Given to the future leader who is not quite ready to take over.

Winner - Joel Berry

While Justin Jackson has had the largest impact of any of the freshmen this season, Joel Berry is shaping up to be the best future weapon for North Carolina. He plays the more important position of point guard. He also has shown glimpses of being able to run this team, something that Jackson and fellow freshman Theo Pinson do not have in their future.

Daenerys has been stuck in the desert, away from the action and the battle for the throne for some time now. She has had trouble gaining her power, and once gained, she has found it difficult to contain the places she has conquered.

There is no doubt Khaleesi's future is bright, and she will soon fight for rule over Westeros, but it has taken patience. The same goes for Berry's game.

Through a slow start and then through a major injury, Berry's season was never more than promise and potential. We must wait.